Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is rolling out a credible alternative to Twitter, the Verge reports. Since Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter disrupted the social media landscape, competitors have sought to capture its market share.
Meta calls its answer to Twitter “Project 92.” Users will be able to draw from their Instagram and Facebook profiles to post on the new text-heavy platform. Its main appeal will be the backing of a large platform capable of keeping up with Twitter and committed to content moderation which many large brands and advertisers favor.
Meta has been under serious financial pressure, operating at a profit but facing weak stock growth. Its forays into the “Metaverse” have been mostly a failure, and will likely come under even greater pressure due to Apple’s upcoming Spatial Computer Vision Pro.
Facebook’s role in the 2016 election had previously put it in the crosshairs of corporate media, but Twitter’s recent direction has brought it back in its good graces. Twitter’s purchase by Elon Musk has in turn drawn heavy criticism for its commitment to “flatten” speech between all users, removing the coveted blue checkmark which previously granted an aura of authority.
Meta and Twitter’s competition is not guaranteed to end in either one’s demise. While Twitter has gone through turbulent times under Musk, it has also proved able to increase its revenue through the “Twitter Blue” subscription service. Meta, previously on shaky grounds itself, could see a comeback among former Twitter users who pine for the previous management’s decisions.
